2011 NFL Draft: San Francisco 49ers Building Depth For Years To Come
With five selections within the first 115 picks of the NFL 2011 Draft, the San Francisco 49ers have the opportunity to add depth and even take risks to find players who can propel them to an NFC West title.
The top 10 players in most mock drafts include quarterbacks like Blaine Gabbert and Cam Newton that some feel could become the face of a franchise, much like Peyton Manning is in Indianapolis.
For 49ers fans, that may seem awfully tempting.
At the same time, there are outside linebackers who possess mad physical skills that could turn them into blitzing terrors, which also is a glaring need for the 49ers, who were lacking in the sack column last year.
Much of the prognostication about which player ends up where ends after the first round.
After that, NFL teams assess the true cost-benefit analysis of their desires, and that allows them to bunch picks from later rounds in exchange to jump up and select desired players.
It also offers the chance to trade selections for more picks later, knowing that the player(s) they really want will be available.
It is in this realm where the Niners will be come April 28.
This is a chance to add considerable depth,. With new coach Jim Harbaugh, it is a chance to add his identity to the franchise.
Round 1
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Patrick Peterson is the best cover man in the draft. He’s also an athletic specimen, at 6’0" and 219 pounds, and he possesses 4.31 speed in the 40.
Since January, Peterson has done nothing but draw rave reviews.
Some call him the most talented player in the entire draft; there’s no doubt that he’s physically the most gifted cornerback available, which makes one wonder why he would be available for the Niners.
The teams ahead of the Niners need quarterbacks, defensive linemen and linebackers more than they need cornerbacks.
Also, no cornerback has been drafted first overall. It might take luck to have Peterson fall to the Niners, but if he does, there’s so much to like.
He’s just 20 years old, yet he has had a career of playing well at a young age.
He was the USA Today Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 and then stepped right up and, though he didn’t start, played for LSU in tough SEC games as a freshman.
He can run back punts and kicks. More to the point, he provides a long-term solution for a defensive backfield that has been underwhelming of late.
With the high-priced Nate Clements slowing down, the Niners need a one-on-one stopper at cornerback. Peterson solves that issue for several years.
If Peterson isn’t available, they may even go for Nebraska's Prince Amukamura, who is rated the second-best corner in the draft.
Round 2
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This is where the Niners would love to get lucky.
Their second-round pick will be the 45th player taken, but if Jake Locker is available early in the second round, Harbaugh might scream for a deal to exchange draft picks for the right to move up and select the University of Washington standout.
Locker has four years of experience as a Pac-10 quarterback, the last three as a starter. He was derided for his accuracy, though his pro-day exhibition seemed to put that to rest.
What the Niners hope to get is a young-but-tested quarterback who can take over in 2012 and carry them deep into the playoffs.
Here are three reasons why the Niners might package several late-round picks for Locker:
1) He's 6’3” and 230 pounds but runs a 4.5 40.
2) Locker played against pro-style defenses and ran some West Coast offense
3) He has a strong arm but has the ability to make plays when protection breaks down.
Round 3
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The Niners go back to defense here, selecting OLB Bruce Carter out of North Carolina. He has the size (6’2”, 241 pounds) and he stayed five years in school.
Moreover, his 4.57 40 gives him the speed to hang with running backs in the 'under' coverages, which is one reason why NFLdraftscout.com had him rated fifth at his position.
Carter makes sense, considering that OLB Manny Lawson probably won’t be coming back to the team.
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Round 4
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With two picks in this round, here’s the chance to add depth and build special teams, particularly the coverage schemes. That’s why Owen Marecic of Stanford leaps out at you.
He played both ways in college, and though he’s slated as a fullback, he can be anything from lead blocker to linebacker to up man on punts and kickoffs.
He’s 248 pounds, and though his 4.87 40-time at the combine seems a little sluggish by NFL standards, his talent and instincts make him one of those guys who can fill in at three position—RB, LB and TE.
If they have two picks here, the other will be offensive guard Stephen Schilling of Michigan. He’s another senior who played for a major program.
NFLproscouts.com has him rated the sixth-best guard in the draft, which means he’s capable of playing soon, perhaps later in the year as a rookie.
Though another offensive lineman might seem like overkill after taking two OL in the first round of the 2010 draft, Schilling comes in as an immediate push to RG Chilo Rachel.
Also, he and David Baas can provide added depth to a unit that needs to be first rate in 2011.
Round 5
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It might be time to gamble. Shiloh Keo of Idaho offers the possibility of providing big hits from the strong safety position.
He’s 5’11” but weighs 219 pounds, meaning he brings some wood to the party that happens when secondary players in the middle of the field have to fill gaps against the run.
He’s a gym rat who won’t get off the practice field. He also can play on punt and kickoff teams.
Round 6
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The Niners have two picks here and, again, reaches are accepted.
Greg Salas of Hawaii posted 4.51-speed in the combine, but his size (6’1”, 210) makes him ideal for slot or inside receiver in spread formations.
He becomes an easy target over the middle, and he has enough speed to stretch the middle seams in Cover 2 schemes.
Along with TE Vernon Davis, this would give the Niners two excellent targets in the middle of the field, which is the easiest throw for quarterbacks.
Also, here’s where the Niners get Loyce Means of Houston. The cornerback has good speed (4.46), though his size might be an issue. But he’s another player to add depth in a needed area.
Round 7
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Granted, the Niners might not have all three selections from this round, but here are more candidates to consider:
Korey Lindsay, CB, from Southern Illinois (5’10”, 194 pounds with 4.56 in the 40). OLB J.T. Thomas of West Virginia (6’1” 241 pounds, 4.65), and safety DeJon Gomes of Nebraska (6’0", 208 pounds, 4.5).
Yes, that seems heavy toward defense, but it is defense built on speed. Improving the secondary cuts down on the chance of big plays, especially on third-and-long situations in which the Niners were one of the poorest in the league.
Not all may make the team, but adding them to the training camp roster will make for a competitive summer (that is, if the lockout is settled). That can only help.
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